Hasset et al (2008)

• Sex differences in toy choice

  • Boys tend to interact with masculine-type toys, play more with toys seen as stereotypically male
  • Girls tend to interact more with feminine-type toys, play with a range of feminine and masculine toys
• Reasons for sex differences in toy choice

  • Some psychologists believe it is due to societal ideas of expected masculine and feminine gender roles
  • Other psychologists believe it is about features of toys that fulfil needs of children, such as manipulation or cradling
• Biological mechanisms affecting toy choice and play behaviours

  • Exposure to prenatal hormones has been shown to affect toy preferences in humans
  • Girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) show toy preferences more in line with boys than girls, even when encouraged to play with female-typical toys
• Research on humans makes it very difficult to separate out biological processes and socialisation processes due to ethical reasons
• Previous study using vervet monkeys had only recorded amount of play with a variety of toys available, not direct preference
• Rhesus monkey sample


  • Lived together for over 25 years at Yerkes National Primate Research Center Field Station
  • Had atypical social structure for a troop of monkeys
  • 14 monkeys excluded due to prenatal hormonal treatments
  • 39 monkeys excluded as they could not be reliably identified

  
• The study was conducted in accordance with rules set out by NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
• Toy selection


  • Hassett et al did not categorise choices of toy by 'traditional gender assignment'
  • Instead, they decided to use specific object properties (wheeled vs plush)
• Procedure


  1. Monkeys allowed into outdoor area with 1 wheeled and 1 plush toy placed 10 metres apart

  2. Behaviours recorded on video by 2 observers

  3. Each trial lasted 25 minutes, with 7 trials in total
• Data analysis


  • Monkeys with fewer than 5 total behaviours were excluded from analysis
  • Final sample was 11 males and 23 females
• No children were directly used in this study, but data from another study was used to compare preferences of rhesus monkeys to that of children
• The study was conducted in accordance with rules set out by NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and the monkeys had access to a varied diet and lived in social groups